Alt, Francis Joseph Nicholas Baron D'

, the descendant of an ancient patrician family of Fribourg in Swisserland, was born there in 1689, and died Feb. 17, 1771.“In 171 She was a captain in the Austrian set-vice, but returned to his country, over which he long presided as avoyer, or magistrate, an appointment conferred upoA him in 1737. He published a” Histoire de la Suisse" Fribourg, 1750 to 1753, 10 vols. 8vo, of which baron Zurlauben, a competent and impartial judge, says, that it would have deserved more praise, if besides the many faults of the language (French), he bad supported his facts by proofs; if he had omitted matters foreign to the history of Swisserland, which occupy a great deal of the work; if he had made his readers better acquainted with the Swiss government; and had described some of the cantons with more accuracy; if he had passed over in silence events not compatible with the plan of a general history, and if he had not espoused with too much warmtfr the cause of the catholic cantons. ³